Chinese researchers have copied frescos in 10 Buddhist caves at the Dunhuang grottos in an effort to protect the valuable cultural relics.
The three-year project was considered the largest fresco-copying scheme ever held at Dunhuang.
The 10 Buddhist caves, where the frescos were copied, were built in the dynasties of Yuan (1271-1368), Tang (618-907), Western Wei (535-556) and Sui (581-618).
The artworks came to light in 1900, when a Taoist named Wang Yuanlu discovered nearly 50,000 documents and pieces of art in one of the 492 caves at Dunhuang, also known as the Mogao Grottos. Since then, thousands of Chinese and foreign scholars have come to study the unique stone sculptures and documents.
Created over 1,000 years, the grottos give a graphic picture of the lives and activities of the people of those early times.
(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2002)
